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Textile Conservation Studio

The Textile Conservation Studio was established in May 1990 to conserve the museum’s extensive collection of banners and to provide a source of help and advice for custodians of textiles.  Specially designed facilities and equipment provide the ideal environment for treatment of a diverse range of two and three dimensional textile objects.

Although originally established with the museum’s own collection of banners in mind, the Studio also deals with a variety of other textiles, undertaking private commissions and offering an advisory service on all aspects covering the care of textiles.

The Textile Conservation Studio is included on the Conservation Register which is maintained by Icon Institute of Conservation.

Visitors to the new museum can take the opportunity to see into the Conservation Studio.  From Main Gallery Two there is a viewing area where you can see our skilled conservators at work preserving very delicate textiles and banners.   

Once a year some of the most delicate banners on display in the museum galleries are changed so that we can protect the most vulnerable banners and also so we can display more of the banners from our collection.  The process of changing banners is very time consuming and great care has to be taken.  See the photo gallery below for a snapshot into the process of taking down a banner and packing it away ready for storage.